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2015 Orioles Thread - DEAD & BURIED Topic

Davis is starting to **** me off. Bottom 10, runners on the corners, full shift on and he doesn't even attempt a single bunt. If he gets one down, he can walk to first with a walkoff single. Such stupid, selfish baseball.

Chen's ERA+ is 99; Gonzalez's is 98. Norris is still showing 93 because BBR hasn't updated to include this start yet, and he'll likely clear 100, but only marginally. Maybe Tillman and Ubaldo have been the weakest links, but it's not like anybody has been particularly strong... Maybe Gausman can step up and be the ace; we'll see. He certainly has more stuff than anybody else on this staff. But then, so did Arrieta.

Gonzo's is very misleading to me. He gave up 7 runs in his first start of the season. He hasn't allowed more than 3 runs in 11-12 starts since. Yes, I realize that 3 runs in 5-6 IP is still a high ERA, but he's been consistent and effective enough to win. Tillman has now had 2 starts where he's failed to get out of the 2nd inning...and Ubaldo couldn't get out of the 3rd yesterday. I don't think any of the other starters have had outings that bad.

Also, when you stack Norris up against other #5's in the league, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the best of the bunch. He's given them far more than I expected him to this season.

I really like Gaus. And he certainly seems to have a better head on his shoulders than Arrieta. He just needs to find consistent control. For this team to make the playoffs, they're going to need both Gausman and Bundy to carry them in the 2nd half, unless they trade for someone like Samardzija.

I agree with you completely on that. It's hard to see this team making the postseason, certainly not making a run, without big contributions from both Gausman and Bundy in the 2nd half of the season. At some point quality starts have to come from somewhere, and right now the source isn't in our rotation.

I'm starting to really question Buck's decisions as manager. Caleb Joseph's catcher ERA is 2.5-3 runs lower than Nick Hundley's. In 2 starts with Hundley, Ubaldo has lasted 8.1IP and given up 7 runs - 7.56 ERA. In 4 starts with Joseph, Ubaldo has an ERA of 1.50. The only starter Hundley should be catching right now is Chen, who for whatever reason has flourished with Hundley behind the dish.

Buck seems to be trying too hard to not repeat past mistakes. In previous stops, he was too much of a rigid hardass, so now he's gone to the opposite extreme. He doesn't hold players accountable and he's obsessed with getting everyone as much playing time as possible, even if the alternative is significantly better. One start a week for a backup catcher is more than enough.